Revenge Game

It's been 7 1/2 long years since that classic duel in the desert for the national championship of college football when Ohio State rained on what could have been a Hurricane dynasty. The Canes were loaded with NFL players from Heisman Trophy winner Ken Dorsey to Super Bowl Champion Jonathan Vilma on defense. The Canes also boasted the late All-Pro Sean Taylor, the highest paid receive in the NFL Andre Johnson, among many others playing on Sundays. The superstar for the Buckeyes was Maurice Clarett who is back in school after doing time in the state penitentiary in Toledo, Ohio. But than let's not forget many of those Buckeyes from Super Bowl winners Will Smith and Michael Doss were also on the Buckeye roster along with many future NFL players also. At the time though nobody saw the Buckeye players as on the same level as the Canes.

During the season of 2002, the norm was for the University of Miami to be stomping their competition while the Buckeyes struggled with the likes of Illinois, Purdue, and Northwestern. Meanwhile the Canes were going into places like Gainesville, Knoxville, and Morgantown and beating the crap out of top competition. The Canes has swagger and why not they had just won 33 straight games including the previous national championship is dominating fashion over Nebraska 37-14. This time the Canes were rolling into Tempe, Arizona as 11.5 point favorites over the Big Ten Champion Ohio State Buckeyes.

The thing about Ohio State was they were not intimidated. They had won all 13 of their games that season and whether they blew a team out like Texas Tech in their opening weekend or squeaked by with the "Holy Buckeye" made famous by Brent Musberger of ABC the fact is they won all 13 of their games. The Buckeyes relied on defense, the running game and most importantly special teams. Andy Groom the Buckeye punter would turn out to be one of the more important players on the field at Sun Devil Stadium in January of 2003 with his field changing punts with the exception of his last punt which was nearly taken back by Roscoe Parrish Miami's speedy receiver.

On this night though all the odds maker points in the world could not help the Canes. All of complaining after wards by Miami All-American tight end and his father an NFL Hall of Fame tight end was enough to stop what the Buckeyes did to the Canes in 2002. Quite literally the Buckeyes beat up the Canes. They beat them up and down the field physically. Miami record setting running back Willis McGahee would be carried off the field as a casualty of Buckeye brutality on this night. Heisman Trophy winner Ken Dorsey would be escorted from the field in overtime as he was savagely beaten by Matt middle linebacker Matt Wilhelm and the Buckeye defense.

This was a night when superstar safety Sean Taylor would intercept a pass in the end zone for the Canes only to be stripped by future inmate Clarett only a freshman in "02. This was a night when Andre Johnson was silenced by the superior play of fellow Sunday player Chris Gamble who starred on both offense and defense. The best catch of the night by Gamble was the one called out of bounds with just over a minute to go in the game and Miami with no time outs. Gamble's catch would have sealed the game but this was before instant replay and the officials missed the call. In the first overtime Ohio State showed why they were champions win or lose on 4th and 14 from the 24 yard line the Holy Buckeye combination of Craig Krentzel and Michael Jenkins produced another miraculous 4th down conversion this time against the star studded Canes not the Purdue Boilermakers.

This was a night where pass interference calls influenced the game. Both teams were recipients of pass interference calls in overtime. Ohio State wasted little time punching in for a touchdown on 2nd down behind the egg head Krentzel. The game was ultimately determined on the field in the end when it came down to lining up and hitting the other team in the mouth Ohio State did this with endless fury throughout the game and it was a microcosm of the game in the end.

First and goal for the Canes in the 2nd over time from the 1 yard line. Three times the Canes tried to punch it in for 7 to tie the game. Three times the Canes failed getting stuffed by Buckeye defenders. Getting stuffed by the 11.5 point underdogs. On 4th and goal Heisman winner Ken Dorsey meekly let loose of a pass that fell harmlessly to the ground as the Buckeyes were crowned national champions. After the game in the parking lot I was fortunate to speak with the few Cane fans in a sea of scarlett jubilation. Cane fans were not sour about the alleged pass interference which the Winslows called the Buckeyes cheaters but Cane fans were gracious in defeat as they knew their team was beaten up and down the field for four quarters.

So is this a revenge game? Maybe, just maybe that is what Jim Tressell the Ohio State coach is preaching this week. For all the hard work those Buckeyes put into the 2002 season, for all the players on that Ohio State team that would go onto success after wards on and off the field including Super Bowl titles. It has to burn deep in Buckeye pride that the Winslows and the national media had the gall to call those Buckeyes cheaters after the game plan they executed to near perfection in a perfect 14-0 season. It's time to put to rest "The Luckeyes stole the 2002 National Championship" talk.